Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 38. Comfort Among The Ruins

Rick said softly, "It’s not just memories."

"The things you learned, the love you put into your work, and how you raised your daughters... Those things lived on!"

"The building may be gone, but you are still here... which means that everything can be put back together."

Margaret looked at him and searched his face. "Do you really think that?"

"I know it."

"You’re strong enough to start over because you can survive a dragon attack." Rick held her hand. "And you won’t have to do it by yourself."

"The crown is giving money for rebuilding, and I will make sure you get what you need to do it right."

Margaret’s eyes were full of tears, but this time they were different. Not hopeless, but hopeful. "You’d really help me?"

"Of course." Rick held her hand tightly. "Tell me what you want."

They made plans for the next hour. Margaret talked about her plans for a new store that would be bigger and better than the old one.

Rick wrote things down, asked questions, and, most importantly, listened. He let her talk about her fears, hopes, and she was determined to keep working on her craft.

[COMFORT TO EXP ACTIVATED]

[+45 EXP: REAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GIVEN]

[+30 EXP: HOPE RESTORED]

[2 to 5: MARGARET STONEWOOD’S LOVE]

Margaret was smiling and already drawing plans for her new store by the time Rick left. Rick could see the change from despair to hope, and he felt positive about making a real difference.

Elena Fairhaven, the mother of two children he had saved from falling debris, was next on his list. She was living in a temporary shelter set up in the guild hall and trying to keep her kids busy while she dealt with her problems.

"Mr. Rolland!" Elena’s kids ran up to him right away. "You’re the one who fights dragons!"

"I’m not the only one, though... I only helped to fight it," Rick said softly as he knelt down to their level. "But that day, many people were heroes because they were brave enough to fight that thing."

Elena came over, looking worn out but still able to smile. "Thanks for coming.... The kids have been asking about you all the time."

Rick stood up and said, "I wanted to check on all of you. How are you doing right now?"

Elena’s smile faded a little. "We lost our house... my husband is seeking employment because his store was destroyed."

"Honestly, the kids are handling it better than I am. They think living in the guild hall is an adventure..."

Rick could see how stressed she was and how challenging it was for her to stay strong for her kids while dealing with her own fear and doubt. "Can we talk for a minute alone?" Rick wanted to know. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Elena nodded and asked another mother to take care of her kids. They went to a quiet corner, and Rick felt his Comfort to EXP skill start to work again.

Rick said softly, "You don’t have to be strong all the time."

"It’s okay to feel scared or overwhelmed... you went through something terrible..."

Elena’s calmness began to waver. "I keep seeing that burning sign that looks like it’s about to crush us..."

"I can’t stop thinking about how close we came to death. And then I feel bad for being upset when we lived and others didn’t..."

Rick remembered something Carmilla had told him about how she felt after battles. "Survivor’s guilt is normal."

"You can be thankful and hurt at the same time."

"They don’t have to be separate."

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You’re doing an impressive job of keeping your family together during this."

"Your kids feel safe because you make them feel safe. That’s real strength, not the kind where you act like nothing bothers you."

Elena’s eyes brimmed with tears as she suddenly wrapped her arms around Rick in a tight embrace. "Thank you... I really needed to hear that..."

Rick hugged her back, allowing her the opportunity to be vulnerable, something she had been avoiding. He sensed a genuine connection and care between them in that embrace.

"Hehehe... boobs... can feel them..."

[COMFORT TO EXP ACTIVATED]

[+40 EXP: EMOTIONAL VALIDATION GIVEN]

[+25 EXP: A SAFE SPACE WAS MADE]

[ELENA FAIRHAVEN’S LOVE: 4 → 7]

Elena smiled through her tears when she pulled away. "Rick Rolland, you’re a good person..."

"Thanks for saving us and for the sweet, comforting talk... it made me feel a lot better right now."

Rick kept going down his list and came across one displaced woman after another. Lady Beatrice Thornrose, the noble whose carriage had burned, needed help getting through the red tape of insurance claims and building permits. Rick helped her fill out forms and write letters of testimony about the attack for two hours.

[COMFORT TO EXP ACTIVATED]

[+35 EXP: HELP WITH ASSISTANCE PROVIDED]

The innkeeper’s wife, Miranda Whitehall, required assistance in relocating furniture from her destroyed inn to a temporary storage space. Rick got some people to help him carry heavy things all afternoon. He kept Miranda’s spirits up by talking to her and making her laugh.

[COMFORT TO EXP ACTIVATED]

[+30 EXP: HELP WITH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES]

Sarah Threadborne, the seamstress, had lost everything she needed to sew. Rick put her in touch with Margaret, and the two women quickly became friends because they both loved the same craft and had lost someone. Rick was surprised at how happy it made him to see them plan to possibly work together in the future.

[COMFORT TO EXP TURNED ON]

[+50 EXP: MADE A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION]

Rick had finished most of the list by late afternoon. His body was worn out from working hard, but his mind was sharp. It was more rewarding to be able to help each person with what they needed than to get experience points.

He found Natasha in what was left of the residential area, where she was using her ice magic to keep damaged family heirlooms safe from decay. She worked with outstanding concentration, freezing valuable things in clear ice to keep them safe until they could be properly restored.

Natasha said, "You’ve been busy," without looking up from her work. "I can feel your happiness through the bond... helping people is good for you."

Rick said, "It does. How are things going here?"

"Slow but sure."

"So far, I’ve saved about forty family heirlooms, like pictures, journals, and toys for kids."

"Even I saved some things that can’t be replaced." She finally turned to him, and her ice-blue eyes softened a little. "Everyday work, but important."

Rick said, "It’s not boring if it matters to people."

He saw an older woman standing close by, clearly wanting to talk to Natasha but scared off by how cold she was. "Looks like you have another client."

The woman, who looked to be in her early fifties, walked up slowly. "Excuse me, Miss Mage? I heard you were keeping things safe."

"My mother’s wedding dress is in my ruined house. It’s all I have left of her. Could you possibly help?"

"Show me," Natasha said sharply, but Rick could tell that she really wanted to help.